Volvo Penta was first to come out with a sterndrive with a single boat propeller in 1959 and they were first with a sterndrive that has two counter rotating boat propellers on a single prop shaft in 1982. The advantages of a sterndrive with two boat props are much less slippage that gives a better bite on the water, improved low speed steering...
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The Dis-Pro Boat Company located in Canada produced an inboard style wooden boat between 1914 and 1926 (and some were built up into the 1950’s) known as the “Dippy” that you could raise the drive shaft and boat propeller up into the bottom of the boat using a manual hand lever while under way so you could avoid hitting stuff like rocks and...
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When Volvo Penta’s sterndrive became an instant success at the January 1959 New York boat show, Mercury came out with their own sterndrive as fast as they could and called it Mercruiser. Improving on Volvo Penta’s design and using non thru hub exhaust boat propellers Mercruiser soon became the dominate leader in sales. Mercury was the second...
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Sterndrives have the engine inside the boat connected to a drive unit and boat propellers located outside the boat, at the transom. The bottom of the drive unit looks like the gearcase of an outboard engine and in most cases really is. It is attached to a drive-shaft housing that is connected through the transom to the engine which transmits power through...
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Modern Outboard Motors. Mercury, Evinrude, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Tohatsu-Nissan are the companies that make the outboards today. All make boat propellers in aluminum, and stainless steel propellers too. You can also get after market boat propellers for these engines that in many cases perform just as good and some times even better and usually cost...
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The 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s. By the 1970’s outboard motors had evolved into tried and true basic designs and systems that carried over for decades with minor improvements along the way. Horsepower was always being increased in order top or at least compete with the other manufacturers. Boat propeller performance also had to be improved...
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